Lake Magadi

Soda lake

The Magadi ( Magadi Lake ) is next to Lake Natron is the smaller of two large soda lakes in the Magadi - Natron basin in the eastern arm of the East African Rift. The name of the lake comes from the word for salty in the Maasai language. The massive presence of the salt mixture Trona ( Na3HCO3CO3 · 2H2O) makes it economically significant. Trona is for more than 80 years removed from the company Magadi Soda Company and used for the production of potash and salt.

Geography

The lake is in the eastern part of the East African grave breach ( Great Rift Valley). The basin is bounded on the east by the Ngong hills to the west by Nguruman Escarpment. The hydrological budget of the extremely negative endorheic lake basin leads to extreme alkalinity of the water. The lake is the southernmost lake in the state in Kenya Kajiado District in the Rift Valley province, about 100 km southwest of the capital, Nairobi.

Flora and Fauna

The lake is home to numerous flamingos, pelicans, herons, eagles Nilgänsen and cry. Significant is the common cichlid Alcolapia grahami. The lake is also one of the major distribution areas of Fahl plover. It was also isolated from the lake the archaeon Natrialba magadii.

Environment

The lake is a salt pan that is covered only during the rainy season from less than a meter deep salt lake. From the strongly alkaline salt water, the mineral trona falls out, reaching in some places widths of 40 meters.